Unfortunately in our society today, the vast majority of Americans are plagued by food. The overeating, the over processed foods, the lack of knowledge, the culture of celebrating all occasions with fatty, artificial and chemically processed desserts has led us to the grossly shocking statistic that 2/3 of America is either overweight or obese! I have been fighting against these statistics advocating for a healthier population.

The problem I have encountered lies in the fact each of us can only do so much. Whether it be tackling the day-to-day family requirements or being that key team player keeping your office together. I have been helping people over the last 8 years learn about how the food you eat, or don’t eat, affects your health and well-being. I have had terrific clients who have made great strides towards living healthier cleaner lives. And what is truly amazing is watching my clients teach others – I love this domino effect! I’ve been at client’s homes and seen first-hand their children choosing healthier snacks because the children see how mommy and daddy snack and emulate those habits. So instead of the child reaching for an ice cream bar as a treat, they reach for sliced apples or a homemade all-natural nut bar (that I taught mommy how to make).

So getting back to how I plan on helping more people. Obviously teaching people on an individual basis is great, but also limits how many people I can help because there is only so much time in a day. I have spoken at meetings on nutrition and food where there are 40-50 people. Then I am able to reach more people, but the results aren’t as great as with one-on-one coaching. What to do…what to do…If only I could be in more places at the same time.

The more and more I thought about this, I continued circling the idea of a super healthy food product that would be very convenient for people. I am sure you see people everyday eating different bars – protein bars, low carb bars, diet bars, gluten-free bars, etc. (you may be one of them) I have personally searched high and low for a bar that met my healthy bar requirement and came up with zilch. You’re probably thinking this is impossible because there are hundreds of bars available. Yes, there are and I am surprised as well. The reason I haven’t found a bar suitable for myself is I set the bar very high. My framework for a “healthy” bar or snack food is listed below. You may want to sit down before reading this list.

*under 1 gram of sugar WITHOUT the use of sugar alcohols (sorbitol, erythritol, xylitol, maltitol) or fructo-polysaccharides, such as inulin and FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides). When I first personally experimented with sugar-free products I tried each of the above alternative sweeteners as they were listed as being natural. Each and every one of these gave me cramping, major bloating, flatulence and a laxative-like effect. Also, I do not find it natural to extract one component of a food found in nature and then mass produce that component into a concentrated form, one which was never intended by nature to be consumed in such a concentrated manner.

*make you feel good after consuming because there are actual NUTRIENTS in the food that have not been processed out, including healthy Omega 3’s

Now you see why I cannot find a bar that fits my guideline of “healthy”. So I placed the challenge on myself. Come up with a food product that meets all my expectations of a pure healthy food. As I looked at the above framework, I knew I had my work cut out. I hit the kitchen and after 2 years of baking, food experimentation, recipe development and taste-testing I have come up with a product that fits! I have developed a line of muffins under the name Mind Your Muffin that are so delicious even kids love them.

Q: How are these muffins convenient? Wouldn’t you have to purchase these muffins freshly made and because there are no preservatives, wouldn’t they only last a few days?

A: These muffins will only last a few days (5-7) stored in an airtight container at room temperature. However, if you freeze them they will last up to 9 months. Yes, I have tested these muffins and they have lasted 9 months in the freezer. The muffins are individually wrapped and as long as they are kept individually wrapped in a freezer safe bag or wrap, you can grab a muffin from the freezer and 2-3 hours later it will be ready to eat. For those of us who can’t wait 2-3 hours for thawing time, you may place the muffin in a toaster oven (about 3 mins at 350 degrees) or microwave (30-60 seconds on high).

Q: Where can I purchase these muffins? Are they available in my grocer’s freezer?

A: These muffins are available to be purchased directly from me. You can send a comment below to order or email me at mindyourmuffin@gmail.com. The muffins are $3.75 each or a dozen for $40. The muffins will be shipped to you the day they are made. To keep muffins fresh and keep shipping costs as low as possible, I use USPS 2 day shipping. The cost is approximately $11 per dozen and the muffins arrive in a box individually wrapped and kept in place by a muffin holder. This ensures the muffins will not move much during the shipping process.

Q: What flavors are available?

A: Apple Cinnamon, Pumpkin Spice, Lemon Poppy and Gingerbread.

Q: Is there a website available with nutrition information and ingredients?

A: MindYourMuffin.com is currently under construction, but will soon allow you to order directly online and browse ingredients and nutrition information.

Q: I noticed your muffins are not gluten free. Do you make gluten free products?

A: Currently we do not sell gluten free products. However, these muffins have a very low gluten content so some people who have an intolerance (not allergy or celiac) can still enjoy these muffins! Although I have made and approved several gluten free products, these are currently not available for sale due to higher cost. The gluten free line may be made available for purchase in the future, along with other product lines, such as high protein muffins.

Q: Are Mind Your Muffin muffins safe for diabetics?

A: I have had much success with diabetic clients using these muffins as an everyday snack food. Because there is virtually no sugar (all muffins have 1 gram of sugar or less) and low carbohydrate content, there is not a spike in blood sugar levels. Also they do not experience the usual cramping, bloating, flatulence or laxative-like effect from eating typical sugar-free items available.

Q: How do you sweeten your muffins?

A: I use the purest form of stevia sweetener I have been able to find. After trying over 35 different preparations of stevia, I found one that met all my healthy criteria and that tasted great. Although the price is higher for a purer, less processed form of stevia, Mind Your Muffin is about quality and will never sacrifice quality to lower costs.

So by bringing these healthy muffins into the homes of people across America, I am able to help make great food choices everyday even when that sugar tooth craving flares up. Until I figure out how to clone myself, Mind Your Muffin will carry my message. Let’s be mindful about the food we eat and lose our muffin-tops!

Hi Debi. No problem! I can definitely ship an order of muffins to you prior to Christmas. I apologize for the lack of clarity in ordering instructions. I am in the process of constructing the mindyourmuffin.com website.

I will be sending you an email from email address mindyourmuffin@gmail.com in the next 30 minutes with order instructions.